AGWORKS BUILDS COMPLEX CROP
INSURANCE APP IN RECORD TIME
WITH TELERIK UI SOLUTIONS

Backgound
AgWorks was born in 2010 by a merger between Dreamscape Technologies
and iNETj Communications, specializing in the development and supportof crop processing systems. Both companies have extensive experience inthe crop insurance industry. AgWorks has successfully implemented andmanaged crop insurance systems used to process more than $1.6 billion
in annual premiums, supporting all Federal Crop Insurance Corporation
approved crop/product combinations in the U.S.

ClientAgWorks designed and implemented these systems using
Microsoft.NET web-based technologies, Telerik® UI for ASP.NET MVCand Telerik® Reporting. AgWorks serves the federally backed crop
insurance industry, which consists of only 18 companies nationwide.

Challenge“We delivered our first version in nine months—

AgWorks was tasked with building a large-scale centralized

which is unheard of in this industry—because we

web application to meet some very immediate needs of one

hired 25 of the best people in the industry and gaveof its customers. However, most applications tailored for thethem really good tools. Then, we converted 1,900

crop insurance industry take roughly three years to develop.

screens to a new UI in just two weeks. I don’t think“Our customer needed a basic solution within nine months,

we could have met our deadlines if we didn’t haveand a fully functioning solution within 12-16 months,” said Carleasy to use HTML-based UI toolsets to work with.

Gideon, Enterprise Architect at AgWorks. “It was going to be aTelerik was a key component in our success.”very complex application, and a lot of companies fail trying todevelop similar software. We’ve known several companies

Carl Gideon, Enterprise Architect at AgWorks

that spent millions and never rolled out a solution.”
The application has to render intricate screens to account forvarious crops, specializations, varieties of crop, and state andresource-intensive. Some of the forms in the application arecounty policies. Close to 1,000 people use the app, including

thousands of pages long, and we needed a tool that could

agents, staff at insurance companies and farmers.

handle it." Gideon’s team selected Telerik UI Extensions forASP.NET MVC to build the app’s UI because of the overall“Typically the agent will talk to the farmer and provide a quotecompleteness of the solution. The ASP.NET MVC server

for insurance based on the farmer’s plans,” said Gideon. “Thewrappers generate the JavaScript and HTML rendered by theinsurance company is the underwriter and in charge of reviewing

view engine in the browser, facilitating communication betweenand accepting the policy and sending it to the government

the Views, Models and Controllers. They also make use of MVC

for official approval, while the agent is in charge of enteringfeatures such as data annotations, server binding and so on. “Allinformation, filing claims and on-going policy maintenance.

the controls were there,” said Gideon. “Telerik enables us to apply

This app would manage all of that workflow. Reporting

themes and colors and save them as style sheets, as well, which

capabilities were also essential, because the crop insurance

boosts our productivity.”

industry is so closely regulated.”
Additionally, as crops are planted and mature, the app has to beSolution

able to record acres, track the harvest, and record storm data andother information that may affect the crops. It manages premium

Using Telerik MVC extensions, the team met the customer’scollection, as well.

tight deadline and was able to launch the first version of theapplication in only nine months. Another version was released aGideon’s team hired 25 developers within three months to work

few months later. “Telerik tools are easy to use, so it was easy toon the solution. “We had to find and adopt a software platform

train developers and get them up to speed quickly,” said Gideon.

quickly and start working right away.”“The toolset is full-featured and consistent. If you learn how tocreate a dropdown list, the same rules apply for other features,

Gideon was referred to Telerik® products by a few consultants.
“We looked at Silverlight, but we wanted a solution that enabled
us to design in pure HTML,” he said. “A solid Grid module wasalso important for various aspects of the app, such as claims
forms, policies, accounting and other processing that isso there’s very little ramp-up.”

AgWorks Converts 1,900 Screens to Kendo UI
Framework in Two Weeks“Even though we had to work quickly, we had nomajor problems when we rolled out the upgrade.

Since the initial software release, AgWorks transitioned theTo be able to do that much that quickly says a lot

application from the MVC controls to Telerik® Kendo UI® for ASP.

about the Telerik technology we used and how well

NET MVC framework and PhoneGap. “When we started out,

it worked.”

we were under pressure to get the app to market so quickly,
we decided to freeze the technology stack and not burden

Carl Gideon, Enterprise Architect at AgWorksdevelopers with constant updates,” Gideon said. “But weknew we’d have to switch gears at some point.”
Telerik eventually transitioned to the Kendo UI framework andstopped supporting the ASP.NET MVC extensions the teamdevelopment time, with very few issues. “We performed extensive

used originally, and although there were upgrade paths, they

testing, and touched more than 500,000 lines of code,” said

were a few releases behind. Instead, they decided to move theGideon. “Even though we had to work quickly, we had no major

application over to Kendo UI framework, which would also enableproblems when we rolled out the upgrade. To be able to do thatthem to develop for mobile platforms like iOS and Android in themuch that quickly says a lot about the Telerik technology wefuture.

used and how well it worked.”“We wanted to have a common toolset so developers who
normally work in mobile are well supported,” Gideon said.

Results

As a result, his team had to update 1,900 files within the twoweek release schedule—a major undertaking.

Gideon credits Telerik for the team’s ability to develop its
highly complex application so quickly. Success with the 2-week

At the recommendation of Telerik, AgWorks contracted withconversion from MVC extensions to the Kendo UI framework, heFalafel Software, a custom software development, consultation

said, further demonstrates the strength of the technology.

and training company, to assist with converting the app to theKendo UI framework. “We had four primary developers start“We delivered our first version in nine months—which is unheard

converting the app about a month in advance, then more joinedof in this industry—because we hired 25 of the best people inthe project. Six of our developers were in Hungary; the team

the industry and gave them really good tools,” he said. “Then, wewas scattered all over the world,” said Gideon. “Falafel developed

converted the entire app to a new UI in just two weeks. I don’t

the methodologies we used to upgrade the screens and helped

think we could have met our deadlines if we didn’t have easy-

to train the team to use them.” The team relied heavily on

to-use HTML-based UI toolsets to work with. Telerik was a keyVisual Studio Team Foundation Server (TFS) for collaborating

component in our success.”throughout the project.
Telerik has also enabled AgWorks to keep up with rapidly
To complete the conversion within the two-week releasechanging technology needs. “It used to be that technology

schedule, AgWorks flew out all of the developers to Amarillo,

became obsolete every two years, but now you have to update

and they worked together in a single location. They managed

it at least every six months or be left in the dust,” said Gideon.

to convert the 1,900 screens over roughly 3,800 hours of“Telerik solutions help us keep up with this pace of change, andquickly incorporate new technologies such as mobile, to meet

“Telerik solutions help us keep up with this pace ofour customers’ needs.”

change, and quickly incorporate new technologies
such as mobile to meet our customers’ needs.”

Telerik Helps AgWorks with Evolving Mobile Strategy

Carl Gideon, Enterprise Architect at AgWorks

AgWorks’ mobile strategy is evolving, and Telerik technology will
help facilitate new mobile apps for both insurance agents andgrowers. “We first developed a Java-based app for Android about
3.5 years ago,” said Gideon. The app can be used in the field
for recording damage, taking photos, filling out and submitting“Mobile is a new area for us,” said Gideon. “We’re starting to use

forms, and other key tasks. “At the time, Apple didn’t offer

the Kendo UI framework more in our development efforts, andprinting solutions, and agents need to be able to print forms fromits support for responsive app development will help us makethe app. But we’ve since updated the app and plan to deploy apowerful crop insurance applications accessible directly to thenew version built with Kendo UI framework and PhoneGap soon.”

farmers.”

Gideon’s team is also developing another mobile app using
Telerik technology—a real-time app designed for the farmer.
Using his phone, a farmer can log into the app to view policy
data, claim status and other information related to his crop
insurance. The app is compatible with iOS and Android andempowers the grower with self-service capabilities.

Learn More

Visit Website
http://www.myagworks.com/

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